Police ID crash victim in fatal two-car accident

PAUL SQUIRE PHOTO | The scene of Friday morning’s accident that claimed the life of one person in Calverton.

Police have identified the victim of a fatal two-car crash that claimed his life and injured two other people at the intersection of Middle Country Road and Route 25A in Calverton Friday morning.

Joseph Amodemo Jr., 66, of Wading River was killed when a gray 2011 Honda Accord he was driving eastbound on Route 25A when it hit a dark green 1995 GMC Yukon traveling westbound on Middle Country Road, police said.

Mr. Amodemo was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. His son-in-law, Scott Paskiewicz, said on Saturday that Mr. Amodemo was a retired 6th grade teacher in Southampton who was “a kind, kind man — no enemies — that’s all you need to know about him.”

The driver of the Yukon, 20-year-old Meghan Campbell of Shoreham, and her passenger, Chris Zullo, 25, of Riverhead, were also injured in the crash, police said.

Mr. Zullo was airlifted to Stony Brook University Medical Center with “serious” injuries to his head, police said.

Ms. Campbell, a 2010 graduate of Shoreham-Wading River High School, was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center for treatment of non life-threatening injuries.

Riverhead ambulance volunteers, a Wading River Fire Department heavy rescue team and Riverhead police all responded to the scene.

Riverhead police Lt. Robert Peeker said police interviewed a few witnesses who saw the crash but had not yet determined fault. There were no initial indications of drugs or alcohol involved in the crash, he said.

Middle Country Road was closed in both directions as Riverhead police investigated, but was reopened by 1 p.m. Anyone with information about the crash are asked to call Riverhead police at 631-727-4500, ext. 332.